In Grand Forks, Mayor Everett Baker speaks about forestry with the urgency of someone who has seen what happens without it.
His message is grounded in lived experience. When the local mill shut down, the impact was immediate. When it reopened, even partially, the effect was just as real.
“That means 69 individuals are back to work in my community, and they’re able to pay their mortgages, put food on their table [and] support our small businesses in our communities.” Baker doesn’t speak in abstractions. He speaks in numbers, families and consequences.
Baker was first elected to council in a 2020 byelection. He won the mayoralty in 2022. He previously worked closely with BC Housing on social housing and has been a consistent advocate for seniors. A defining achievement of his term has been the completion of Grand Forks’ flood mitigation system. The $72-million project added roughly 3,000 metres of new diking. Baker has also been an outspoken voice on forestry, describing himself as someone who “fights daily to protect forestry jobs” in the region.
A town built on resources
Grand Forks sits along the Canada–U.S. border, shaped by agriculture, mining and forestry. Baker describes it as a “good place to live,” with strong community roots and affordability.
But that stability depends on industries often overlooked in urban conversations.
Forestry, in particular, remains foundational. It supports not just mill workers, but a wider regional economy.
“Forestry means so much to my community,” he says with sincerity, because forestry determines whether people can stay, work and build a future locally.
When a mill stops, a community feels it
Baker’s advocacy sharpened during the mill shutdown. As mayor, he travelled to Ottawa to press the case with federal officials.
He worked with ministers, MLAs and regional partners to push for action. The goal was simple: restore operations.
The restart came with one shift. It was not full capacity, but it mattered.
“It is an emergency for my community and for the province of British Columbia, ” reflecting on how he views forestry policy. For communities like his, the instability caused by shut downs and closures is immediate and personal.
Forestry as both livelihood and solution
Baker also challenges outdated views of forestry. He acknowledges change is needed, but insists the industry remains essential.
His region has faced wildfire threats in recent years, andactive forest management helps reduce that risk.
“Forestry mitigates that risk. Forestry puts food on the table. Forestry allows people to pay their taxes, which is great when you’re a mayor.” That dual role, economic and environmental, shapes his perspective on the industry’s future.
A message to decision-makers
Baker’s message to governments is consistent. Stability and co-operation are critical.
“We need to work together. We need to work with First Nations. We need to work with community. We need to work with governments.” He also argues forestry must be treated as a priority sector in national discussions, alongside other major industries.
For him, the issue goes beyondtheoretical policy. It can be a deciding factor in whether communities like Grand Forks can plan ahead with confidence.
Why it matters beyond Grand Forks
Baker also highlights why this conversation is important to a broader audience, explaining the ways rural resource economies underpin urban prosperity across British Columbia.
The connection may not always be visible, but it remains essential.
In his words, the stakes are clear.
“The work that we do does matter. It matters to every family that works in the forest industry. It matters to me, as a mayor in my community, that we have a functioning mill that provides good paying jobs and that allows families to thrive in my community and remain in my community for generations and generations and generations to come.”
For Grand Forks, and many communities like it, forestry is not just part of the story. It is the story.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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